BOX SCORE

FAYETTE, Iowa - Northern State senior guard Luke Wicks hit 6-of-8 shots from the field, including 4-of-4 from three-point range, as the Wolves thrashed the Upper Iowa Peacocks 77-56.  The win gives NSU head coach Don Meyer sole possession of second place on the NCAA all-time wins list with his 880th victory.  The Wolves' bench elevated the game by scoring 40 points.  Northern is 18-2 on the year and 9-2 in NSIC play.  Upper Iowa is 6-14 overall and 5-6 in the NSIC.

A blistering 72.0% first half shooting performance put the Wolves up by as many as 22 points and they took a 47-29 lead into the locker room.  With an extremely balanced attack, the Wolves busted out a 21-2 scoring run that stretched for more than five game minutes.  They assaulted Upper Iowa from long range, mid range and in the paint.  Northern received five or more first half points from six different players and missed just seven shots in the entire period.  The Peacocks could not keep pace with the Wolves and shot just 34.6% in the half, which was more impressive than their second half performance.

While the Wolves cooled to a more standard shooting mark in the second half (44.4%), their defense kept the Peacocks at bay, never getting closer than 14 points from NSU.  Northern had one of their most impressive free throw shooting games of the season.  They reached the line 21 times and missed just two shots for a searing 90.5%.

Wicks finished the game with a team high 17 points, 11 of which came in the first half.  He did not miss an attempt from long range (4-4) and also had three dishes.  Kevin Ratzsch and Robert Thomas added 17 and 13 points each, respectively.  Dan DeWitt nabbed a team high seven rebounds and also had seven points.  Entering the weekend as the seventh-best shooting team in the nation (51.8%), the Wolves finished the game shooting 60.5% from the field.  They had 16 assists.

Dan Bestul was the only UIU player to mark double figures in scoring, reaching ten points.  He was one of four players with a team high four rebounds.  Upper Iowa shot 32.1% from the field.  They did manage to top the Wolves in rebounds, grabbing 29 to NSU's 26.  

Next up for the Wolves is Wayne State, who moves into Aberdeen on Friday at 8:00 p.m.  Southwest Minnesota State makes the trip on Saturday.  The games will heat up Wachs Arena as the Wildcats and Mustangs are tied for third place in the NSIC standings behind the Wolves, who occupy #2.